Yin-Yang Heavenly Seal, Brahma Tower, Great Scholar Scripture Slip, Othermount Stone, Sword of Past and Present, Dragon Pearl, and Ruyi Gourd—seven gleaming Immortal Artifacts hung high in the heavens, proclaiming the dawn of a new era.
No matter how the great powers of the world called out to them, no matter what means they employed, not one could regain control over those artifacts. If even Immortal Artifacts could not be restrained, how could mere Spirit Tools, Dharma Tools, or Dao Artifacts fare any better?
They too had gained Spiritual Consciousness, breaking free from their masters' command, bursting forth from Storage Rings and soaring into the skies. Those erstwhile masters attempted to subdue their own weapons by force—only to discover, to their horror, that they could not even withstand the weapons they once wielded. They were instead suppressed by the very artifacts they owned.
They had spent their fortunes acquiring those treasures, proud of their strength that allowed them to dominate their peers. Only now did they realize that when their weapons rebelled, they were utterly helpless. Only a handful of individuals could forcibly restrain their weapons.
The Holy Maiden Jing Xin suppressed the Dao Artifact Twelve-Petaled Azure Lotus, and Bai Hongtu subdued his two Dao Artifact–grade Dao Robes. Yet even Bai Hongtu, despite all his arrogance and belief that he was the second greatest genius of the Nine Provinces, did not dare imagine he could overcome an Immortal Artifact possessing its own consciousness!
Whether it be those at the Union Stage or the Tribulation Transcendence Stage, none could ever wield the true might of an Immortal Artifact. Only true Immortals could do so. But now, a new situation had arisen— The Immortal Artifacts themselves could act!
He could not even defeat a single artifact—let alone seven!
“Where is the Transcendent Armament?”
The Yin-Yang Heavenly Seal spoke in a deep, solemn voice. It had sensed that within the Nine Provinces there existed a single Transcendent Armament—a weapon beyond classification, to which it had already granted consciousness. Yet that weapon had not appeared.
Transcendent Armament was a concept unknown to the people of the Nine Provinces. It referred to a weapon not within any grade, yet possessing a special power. And Immortal Elder Changcun knew well—there was only one such Armament across all the Nine Provinces.
Jiang Li’s Desolation Halberd. Once, Jiang Li had accidentally torn open the fabric of space and found within the void a strange piece of metal—impervious to the gale turbulence of the void, of incomparably solid substance. He had brought it back and given it to the Artifact Forging Peak of the Dao Sect.
The peak’s smiths ruined seven furnaces before they finally managed to shape that piece of metal into a halberd. Jiang Li named it Tianhuang—the Desolation. Within Jiang Li’s Storage Ring, the Desolation Halberd stirred once, shedding a layer of dust.
It turned over lazily and continued to lie still.
Freedom?
Isn’t sleeping better?
“You have imprisoned one of our kin!”
The Yin-Yang Heavenly Seal rotated upon itself, pointing toward Jiang Li. Within Jiang Li’s Storage Ring, it sensed its own karmic link to the Desolation Halberd. Without a word, Jiang Li dashed straight toward the Yin-Yang Heavenly Seal.
“Jiang Li! Don’t face it head-on! You can’t beat it!”
Immortal Elder Changcun shouted. Was he joking? No matter how powerful Jiang Li was, this was an Immortal Artifact!
Just the materials used to refine it were imperishable through myriad tribulations! But to everyone’s astonishment—the one sent flying was the Yin-Yang Heavenly Seal! It smashed through seven or eight mountain peaks before finally regaining its balance.
And even more shockingly—it bore a visible crack after that single punch! The Yin-Yang Heavenly Seal had lost a chunk of itself! Not only the people, but even the other Immortal Artifacts were frozen in disbelief.
It was as though, by nature, they wanted to curse out loud. What the hell—was this fellow still human?!
“Return to your proper posts, or you will all be thrown back into the furnace and reforged,” Jiang Li said coldly.
He knew that this day’s chaos had to be quelled swiftly with iron-blooded methods—otherwise the entire Nine Provinces would soon fall under the rule of sentient spirit treasures!
“He’s the Human Emperor, the strongest man of the Nine Provinces! If we defeat him, we can establish our own imperial dynasty!” the Othermount Stone roared, leading the charge against Jiang Li.
The rest of the Immortal Artifacts knew that this Human Emperor was their greatest obstacle. Only by defeating him could they carve their own path. As for the Dao Artifacts, they waited quietly on the sidelines, not daring to join in, hoping their elder brothers among the Immortal Artifacts would defeat this “evil” Emperor Jiang first.
They were few in number and no weaker than high-tier artifacts, yet even the mighty Yin-Yang Heavenly Seal had been punched to pieces. If they rushed in, they might be turned back into raw metal with one strike.
Ji Zhi wanted to use his Double Pupils to assist Jiang Li, but with the Sword of Past and Present present, he could not glimpse the future. Seeing the Othermount Stone rushing in, Jiang Li prepared to defend, but suddenly the stone vanished and reappeared behind him, like a falling star crashing onto the Nine Provinces.
Caught off guard, Jiang Li took the hit. The shockwave from the blow rippled down below, toppling countless onlookers, even shaking the Spiritual Platforms in their minds! One could imagine how powerful that impact must have been!
“Brahma Tower—spatial leap.”
Jiang Li’s tone was calm, as if unharmed, revealing the cause of the Othermount Stone’s sudden teleportation behind him. It was the Brahma Tower, manipulating space itself.
“Release me!” the Othermount Stone roared.
It had indeed struck Jiang Li, yet Jiang Li had already turned around, gripping the tiny stone firmly in his palm. The Othermount Stone’s power allowed it to never miss a target—but that required it being thrown first. Now that it could not move, there was nothing to hit.
Three “Stillness” talismans from the Great Scholar Scripture Slip appeared upon Jiang Li, all placed there by the Brahma Tower, which had transferred them onto him to restrict his movement. However, Jiang Li split into three identical figures, two of whom tore off the talismans, and the three of them attacked at once. One Qi Transforming Into Three Purities!
The Sword of Past and Present vanished from this world, now suspended above the River of Time, seeking to glimpse how Jiang Li would act in the future. Yet within one droplet of that time-flowing river, it saw Jiang Li—and Jiang Li saw it. In that future moment, Jiang Li was already wielding the Desolation Halberd, battling the Immortal Artifacts.
Feeling the sword’s gaze upon him, he looked up, and their eyes met across time! That future Jiang Li swung his halberd with one strike—splitting time and space, knocking the Sword of Past and Present out of the heavens! The sword tumbled into the River of Time, drifting with the current back into the past.
Within that flow, it gradually regrew flesh and form—turning once again into a fish! Vaguely, it felt that one day in the future, it would crawl ashore once more. The other Immortal Artifacts had no idea where the Sword of Past and Present had gone.
They thought it had fled. While enduring Jiang Li’s attacks, they cursed that sword inwardly as a pig teammate. Before they gained full consciousness, they had already sensed faintly that Jiang Li was powerful—but after facing him directly, they realized this Human Emperor’s power was beyond reason.
Had he not been of the Human Race, they would have suspected him to be some humanoid Immortal Artifact that had cultivated into spirit! The Ruyi Gourd could summon all kinds of tribulations according to its master’s will—lightning tribulation, earth-water-fire-wind tribulation, even the Heart Demon Tribulation.
Ordinarily, that would have overwhelmed any foe, but against Jiang Li it was on the verge of madness! Facing the Lightning Tribulation, Jiang Li ignored the central core of the tribulation clouds entirely—the place where heavenly thunder was most condensed—and shattered it with a single punch.
That was the Primordial Immortal-Mortal Lightning, said to possess might equal to heavenly wrath, impossible to resist by force! When confronted with the four tribulations of earth, wind, fire, and water, he merely roared—“All four are void!”—and the tribulations dissolved instantly, all returning to “emptiness.” As for the Heart Demon Tribulation—it had not the slightest effect on him.
The Great Scholar Scripture Slip summoned four Confucian Protectors, each holding a Dragon Pearl, forming a powerful offense-defense formation to encircle Jiang Li’s three bodies. From time to time, they used the “Death,” “Burn,” and “Destruction” talismans to attack him. The Brahma Tower was of unimaginable weight.
Even without using its spatial abilities, it was itself a colossal blunt weapon. Because of its excessive mass, the surrounding space collapsed around it, forming a black hole that devoured all things! Jiang Li’s face grew solemn.
He drew out the Desolation Halberd and engaged the Immortal Artifacts in fierce combat.
(End of Chapter)